Is Poinsettia Poisonous?

poisonous?

Some experts believe that the entire poinsettia plant is poisonous, and the white latex in its stems contains a variety of toxic alkaloids that can irritate the skin. Once people come into contact with it, they will experience allergic symptoms such as redness, swelling, fever, and local papules. If the stems and leaves are accidentally ingested, it may cause gastrointestinal reactions and nervous disorders in mild cases, or poisoning and death in severe cases. But as long as you don't eat the poinsettia, there will generally be no problem. In addition, the harmful substances in poinsettia will be released into the air, but because the content is small, it will not cause harm to humans.

Non-toxic?

Some experts also believe that there is no scientific basis for the toxicity claim. They once conducted an experiment in which they let mice eat large amounts of poinsettia stems and leaves (why are the mice always the ones that get hurt?). After eating, their diet and behavior were normal and there was no abnormality from their daily routine, and no symptoms of death or poisoning occurred. And studies have shown that a 50-pound child can ingest 500-600 poinsettia leaves without suffering from poisoning. And there have been no cases of death from poinsettia poisoning.

In short, poinsettia is not poisonous and should not be approached. Moreover, this is the case with many flowers. Poinsettia is generally recognized as a plant for viewing rather than for eating. When purchasing and maintaining poinsettias, you can completely put aside your worries and just enjoy the joy and happiness brought by the beauty of poinsettias.